In accordance with U.S. Golf Association Rules governing golf clubs, rule 2.a "the golf clubs shall be composed of a shaft and a head, and all of the various parts shall be fixed so that the club is one unit; the club shall not be designed to be adjustable except for weight".
By definition, a "wood" club is one with a head relatively broad from face to back, and usually made of wood, plastic or a light metal. The degrees of loft on each wood numbered 1-5 vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer, presently as set forth below:
__________________________________________________________________________ GOLF CLUB MANUFACTURERS' STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS - LOFT (MENS) #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 Pitch Sand Mfgr. Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron Wedge Wedge __________________________________________________________________________ Acushnet 11 14 17 20 22 22 25 28 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 Dunlop 11 14 17 19 22 21 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 Faultless 12 -- 15 18 21 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 H & B 11 13 16 19 21 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 58 MacGregor 11 13 151/2 181/2 22 22 25 28 32 36 381/2 43 45 49 56 No'western 11 14 16 19 22 21 24 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 P.G.A. 11 14 17 20 22 21 23 26 29 33 37 41 45 50 54 F'st Flight 121/2 14 17 20 23 21 24 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 Pro-Dyne 12 -- 161/2 191/2 221/2 21 24 27 30 34 38 42 46 51 57 Ram 11 -- 16.5 19.2 22 21 24.3 27.8 31.5 35.3 39.2 43.3 47.5 51.6 56.7 Royal 11 14 17 19 21 21 24 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 57 Spalding 11 13 16 19 22 20 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 52 58 Hagen 11 16 17 19 21 21 24 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 Wilson 11 14 16 19 21 21 24 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 __________________________________________________________________________
A change in loft on a particular numbered wood sometimes enables a golfer to perform better with a particular club and, instead of purchasing that numbered wood from a different manufacturer having the desired loft, or instead of purchasing another complete set of woods to obtain a particular wood having a desired loft, the loft on a given wood can be altered. Wood lofts can be altered mechanically by fastening the head of the club securely in a vice and hand filing the face of the club with short firm strokes to try to prevent file slippage and consequent head damage. This procedures requires great expertise and workmanship since any removal of material from the face of the club requires great care so that the bulge or roll of the club head are not unintentionally changed. Further, removal of material from the face of the club alters the swing weight of the club. The loft, bulge, and roll are shown in the drawing and labelled Prior Art.
Similarly, a golfer often finds that his game can be improved by changing the bulge and/or the roll of a particular wood club. The bulge and roll can be mechanically altered by filing the club face with great skill and workmanship. Great care, skill, workmanship and time is required to alter the loft, bulge, and/or roll of a particular wood since altering the facing on any wood in any respect (loft, bulge or roll) alters the other specifications as well in addition to the swing weight of the club. Filing of the club face to alter loft, bulge, or roll also generally requires cutting new face lines into the club face.
Because of the skill, workmanship and effort required to alter a fixed face on a golf club, and the desirability of changing the facing specifications on a given golf club for a particular golf enthusiast, others have developed golf clubs having quickly adjustable facings. Examples of clubs having quickly changeable face specifications are as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,026,749; 2,056,335; 2,175,598; 2,201,638; 2,386,552; 3,190,651; and 3,368,812.
In accordance with rule 2 clause (a) of the U.S. Golf Association Rules, "the club shall not be designed to be adjustable, except for weight". Rule 2-2(b) states that playing characteristics are not to be changed during a round. Accordingly, the quickly changeable golf clubs described in the above listed United States Patents, do not comply with the United States Golf Association Rules and are therefore only useful for experimentation purposes. The Clark U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,194 describes a wooden golf club having a weight adjustment. This club apparently complies with rule 2 clause (a), but the Clark Pat. No. 2,750,194 does not disclose a golf club capable of being adjusted at the facing in loft, bulge or roll.
Others have experimented with face plates of various metals of high modulus of elasticity permanently bonded to the face of the club, such as stainless steel and the like, as disclosed in the Lynn Pat. No. 3,567,228. Another patent, Aitken Pat. No. 1,525,352 discloses a permanently secured face plate of desired loft having a properly balanced weight secured within the club head. Pat. No. 4,121,832 to Ebbing, discloses a golf putter having a removable and invertable face plate and removable weights to change the loft and swing weight of the putter.